Tag fastener



March 8, 1966 H. F. STOFFEL 3,238,536

TAG FASTENER Original Filed March 24, 1961 INVENTOR H E'Sto ffel United States Patent C) 3,238,586 TAG FASTENER Hans Felix Stolfel, Scarsdale, N.Y., assignor to Stofiel Seals Corporation, Tuckahoe, N.Y. Continuation of application Ser. No. 98,190, Mar. 24, 1961. This application Jan. 4, 1965, Ser. No. 423,118 2 Claims. (Cl. 24213) This is a continuation of application Serial No. 98,190, filed March 24, 1961. This invention relates to merchandising and more particularly to the display and identification of various articles and particularly apparel.

In the display of various articles for sale, it is usually desirable to attach tags thereto for the purposes of identification of the item and its source and to effectively convey a message to customers who are shopping in the establishment.

In order to provide a medium for such sales message and identification, it has become customary to attach tags bearing trademarks, directions for use and listing appealing features of the article. Various components of articles such as slide fasteners popularly known as zippers are frequently identified separately in order to assure the customer of the quality of such fastener. Heretofore such identification has frequently been by means of paper or cardboard tags attached to the eye or aperture of the zipper pull or tab by a string or a metal clip. However the time consumed in attaching the tags by these means to a large volume of fasteners has unduly increased the cost of such merchandise.

Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide a simple, inexpensive, easy to apply device for attaching a tag to an item having an aperture such as a slide fastener or the like.

A further object is to provide a simple, inexpensive device for attaching a sheet member to an item having a small aperture, such a device being of minimum size whereby a large number may conveniently be kept on hand in a minimum of space.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevation of a slide fastener in a garment or the like and having a merchandising tag attached thereto by a device constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2, a fragmentary perspective to an enlarged scale illustrating the engagement of such device with a tag and the tab of a slide fastener;

FIG. 3, a section to an enlarged scale on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4, a perspective to an enlarged scale of a device in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 5, a perspective of a modification;

FIG. 6, a view similar to FIG. 3 with the device in elevation;

FIG. 7, a perspective from an end of a further modification; and

FIG. 8, an elevation, partly in section, on the line 88 of FIG. 7, of the device of FIG. 7.

Briefly stated the device of the present invention in one form includes a removably mountable resilient button or knob having an enlarged base, an intermediate shoulder spaced from the base by a bearing support portion of reduced diameter between the base and the shoulder for the reception of a tag, and a tapered end section or head connected to the shoulder by a portion of reduced diameter in order that the head may be passed through an aperture of smaller diameter in an item such as merchandise and the latter reduced diameter portion engaged with the item. If desired the portion of the device from Patented Mar. 8, 1966 the head back to the intermediate shoulder may be split and spaced apart during manufacture in order to facilitate application of the device to the article. The intermediate shoulder and portion of reduced diameter immediately adjacent to the base may be omitted in a further modification.

With further reference to the drawing there is illustrated a fragmentary portion 10 of a garment such as a skirt or dress having a slide fastener or zipper 11 attached thereto and having a slidable member 12 with a tab or pull 13 connected thereto by means of which the user may operate the zipper. The pull 13 is conventionally provided with an aperture 14 adjacent to which is a raised lip 15 for facilitating manual grasping of the tab. In merchandising it is customary to attach tags 16 of various materials to the tab of the zipper by conventional means such as cord or metal clips which engage the aperture 14 in the tab and an aperture 17 in the tag. As stated however, such conventional method of attachment requires substantial time particularly where a large volume of articles are prepared for display.

In accordance with the present invention the label 16 is connected to the tab 13 by an elongated button or knob 18 formed symmetrically about its longitudinal axis, The button or knob at one end has a relatively broad base section 20 preferably circular having a flat, radial wall facing the other end of the button, an intermediate section or shoulder 21, preferably generally part-spheroidal in shape, spaced from the base by an annular channel portion 22 of slightly reduced diameter and a front end section or head 24, approximately of paraboloid shape, spaced from the intermediate portion 21 by a cylindrical bearing support portion 25 preferably of still smaller diameter. A wall, preferably radial but which may slope slightly as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, interconnects the inner end of the head portion 24 with the bearing section 25 at one end thereof while the part-spheroidal portion 21 interconnects with and forms the opposite terminal end of the bearing section. The device is preferably formed from a resilient material such as the well-known molded plastics, e.g., polyethylene, and may have a bifurcating slit 27 from the tip of head 24 to intermediate the length of portion 21 or past midway of the device in order to permit the two sections formed by slit 27 to be slightly moved toward each other, such device being illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4. Obviously one or more slits dividing the end portion into two or more parts may be used if desired.

However the invention also contemplates manufacture of the device with a material of such a resiliency that a slit is not required, as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6.

The approximately paraboloid-shaped tip or front end section 24 is formed with a maximum diameter slightly larger than the opening 14 of the zipper tab 13 and the portion 25 with a diameter less than that of the opening. Similarly the intermediate rounded shoulder portion 21 and the base 20 are larger than the aperture 17 of the tag, and the portion 22 of reduced diameter is slightly smaller than such aperture.

In the use of the device the tip 24 is pressed through the opening 17 of the tag, the material surrounding the opening flexing to permit passage of the intermediate part-spheroidal shoulder 21 whereby the tag is frictionally engaged in the channel portion 22 as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 6. Such tag is then ready to be applied to the tab of the zipper for support therein by inserting the tip 24 through the slightly smaller zipper aperture 14, the tip compressing slightly to permit passage whereby the device is retained on the tab as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 6.

Instead of applying the device to the tag first and later to the item, substantially simultaneous application may be made by holding the tag and the item with their apertures aligned and then pressing the device into engagement with the respective apertures.

After purchased by the consumer the tag may be easily removed by tearing it off the button and the button may be removed from or left on the zipper tab 13 as desired.

In the modification of FIGS. 7, and 8, the intermediate shoulder and reduced portion 22 are omitted and the base formed or provided with a label 30 or other insignia or identification, the latter dispensing with the necessity for a separate tag if desired.

Accordingly it will be apparent that the invention includes a small resilient multisection connection member having spaced port-ions for receiving and resiliently holding a tag and for insertion into an aperture of an element such as a slide-type fastener, although the invention is not limited to such use. A large number of such devices may conveniently be stored in a small receptacle for convenient and easy application.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is illustrated in the drawing and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A resilient button device adapted for releasably attaching an identifying tag or the like to a support member having a relatively thin rigid wall section with an aperture therein, said button device comprising:

an elongated body member formed symmetrically about a longitudinal axis and having a cylindrical bearing support portion therefor of limited length intermediate the ends thereof and adapted to be snugly received within and releasably supported by the aperture of the relatively thin wall section of the support member,

one end section of said elongated body member being approximately of paraboloid shape and having an inner terminal end forming a shoulder intermediate the length of said body member and with a diameter appreciably larger than that of said cylindrical bearing support portion,

a generally radial wall interconnecting the terminal shoulder end of said paraboloid section and the adjacent end of said cylindrical bearing support portion of said body member,

a generally part-spheroidal section connecting the opposite end of said cylindrical bearing support portion and having a terminal shoulder end extending toward the other end of said elongated body memher,

said terminal shoulder end of said part-spheroidal section being of a diameter appreciably larger that the terminal shoulder end of said paraboloid section,

flange means formed on the said other end of said elongated body member,

said flange means having a radial wall facing toward said one end of said body member and being of a diameter appreciably larger that the diameter of said part-spheroidal section, 1

an annular channel of a width appreciably less than the length of said cylindrical bearing support portion formed between said part-spheroidal section and said flange means and of a diameter appreciably greater than the diameter of said paraboloid section,

said annular channel being adapted to receive and secure the identifying tag or the like therein in contact with said radial wall of said flange by its frictional fit within said annular channel.

2. A resilient button device as defined in claim 1 wherein said body member includes:

slot means extending diametrally therethrough from the said one end thereof to a location intermediate the length of said part-spheroidal section.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 91,308 6/1869 Chase 24-101 170,190 11/1875 Pratt. 320,061 6/1885 Heys et al. 2490 570,371 10/1896 Brown 2490 590,506 9/ 1897 Watson 24-90 928,113 7/ 1909 Dunlap. 1,906,913 5/1933 Maisto et al. 24-l01 2,610,879 9/1952 Pope. 3,037,596 6/1962 Fo-rdyce 24-213 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,111,742 11/1955 France.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

DONLEY J. STOCKING, Examiner. 

1. A RESILIENT BUTTON DEVICE ADAPTED FOR RELEASABLY ATTACHING AN IDENTIFYING TAG OR THE LIKE TO A SUPPORT MEMBER HAVING A RELATIVELY THIN RIGID WALL SECTION WITH AN APERTURE THEREIN, SAID BUTTON DEVICE COMPRISING: AN ELONGATED BODY MEMBER FORMED SYMMETRICALLY ABOUT A LONGITUDINAL AXIS AND HAVING A CYLINDRICAL BEARING SUPPORT PORTION THEREFOR OF LIMITED LENGTH INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF AND ADAPTED TO BE SNUGLY RECEIVED WITHIN AND RELEASABLY SUPPORTED BY THE APERTURE OF THE RELATIVELY THIN WALL SECTION OF THE SUPPORT MEMBER, ONE END SECTION OF SAID ELONGATED BODY MEMBER BEING APPROXIMATELY OF PARABOLOID SHAPED AND HAVING AN INNER TERMINAL END FORMING A SHOULDER INTERMEDIATE THE LENGTH OF SAID BODY MEMBER AND WITH A DIAMETER APPRECIABLY LARGER THAN THAT OF SAID CYLINDRICAL BEARING SUPPORT PORTION, A GENERALLY RADIAL WALL INTERCONNECTING THE TERMINAL SHOULDER END OF SAID PARABOLOID SECTION AND THE ADJACENT END OF SAID CYLINDRICAL BEARING SUPPORT PORTION OF SAID BODY MEMBER, A GENERALLY PART-SPHEROIDAL SECTION CONNECTING THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID CYLINDRICAL BEARING SUPPORT PORTION AND HAVING A TERMINAL SHOULDER END EXTENDING TOWARD THE OTHER END OF SAID ELONGATED BODY MEMBER, SAID TERMINAL SHOULDER END OF SAID PART-SPHEROIDAL SECTION BEING OF A DIAMETER APPRECIABLY LARGER THAT THE TERMINAL SHOULDER END OF SAID PARABOLOID SECTION, FLANGE MEANS FORMED ON THE SAID OTHER END OF SAID ELONGATED BODY MEMBER, SAID FLANGE MEANS HAVING A RADIAL WALL FACING TOWARD SAID ONE END OF SAID BODY MEMBER AND BEING OF A DIAMETER APPRECIABLY LARGER THAT THE DIAMETER OF SAID PART-SPHEROIDAL SECTION, AN ANNULAR CHANNEL OF A WIDTH APPRECIABLY LESS THAN THE LENGTH OF SAID CYLINDRICAL BEARING SUPPORT PORTION FORMED BETWEEN SAID PART-SPHEROIDAL SECTION AND SAID FLANGE MEANS AND OF A DIAMETER APPRECIABLY GREATER THAN THE DIAMETER OF SAID PARABOLOID SECTION, SAID ANNULAR CHANNEL BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AND SECURE THE IDENTIFYING TAG OR THE LIKE THEREIN IN CONTACT WITH SAID RADIAL WALL OF SAID FLANGE BY ITS FRICTIONAL FIT WITHIN SAID ANNULAR CHANNEL. 